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Threshold (episode)
Tom Paris makes history as he breaches the warp ten barrier in a specially outfitted shuttlecraft, but his journey has serious repercussions to his health as he begins to transform into...something. Summary After months of experiments, Tom Paris, B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim believe they have found a way to cross the transwarp threshold using a new form of dilithium they discovered that remains stable at higher warp frequencies. On the holodeck, however, Paris only brings the shuttle up to warp 9.95 when the nacelles are ripped from the shuttle and it explodes. The trio goes to the mess hall to think it over. Neelix offers to help, but they don't believe he can contribute anything to the discussion. However, after Neelix tells an anecdote from his past, Paris realizes that it is actually the shuttle being ripped from the nacelles, not the other way around. Paris runs out to the holodeck with Torres and Kim. In Captain Janeway's ready room, the senior staff watch the holodeck simulation and grin as Paris brings the shuttle to warp 10 and crosses the transwarp threshold. Paris offers to take a manned transwarp flight, but Janeway enters his quarters that night with the news that the Doctor has discovered a problem in his brain that could kill him, although the chance is slight. Not wanting to take the chance, she will assign Ensign Kim to the flight. He begs her to reconsider, stating that people had always said that Tom Paris was going to do something special someday, and that this was it. Janeway agrees to it, and the next morning Paris boards the [[Cochrane (shuttlecraft)|shuttlecraft, now named Cochrane]] and launches it. The shuttle kicks into warp, followed closely by Voyager. Voyager ups to warp 9.975, its maximum velocity, for as long as it can. But as Paris surpasses that speed, Voyager must slow. As the crew waits in anxiety, Paris goes faster and faster until finally sensors record warp 10. Then, Paris vanishes. A search fails to turn up the Lieutenant, but then he suddenly reappears, sleeping. In sickbay, Paris recounts his transwarp flight. Paris later collapses, and was briefly declared dead by The Doctor. An autopsy was scheduled for the next day when Paris was suddenly revived on his own. Over a short period of time, Paris begins to experience physical and biological changes. At the climax, Paris took Janeway hostage and once again attained transwarp speed in Cochrane. The Voyager crew eventually managed to locate the couple on a planet. To the bewilderment of the crew, the two were transformed into reptile-like beings, with a number of "children". The transformation of Paris and Janeway was explained by The Doctor as a possible foreshadowing of future human evolution in a very far future. Janeway and Paris were eventually restored to their original state, while the "children" the two bore were left on the planet. Log Entries * First officer's log, USS Voyager Memorable Quotes "You're not going anywhere. At least not for a few hours. I have some tests I'd like to run on Your Majesty before I release you back into the realm of ordinary humans." "You may proceed" : - The Doctor and Paris, after Paris returns from his mission "What did he ingest?" "Just a cup of Neelix's coffee." "It's a miracle he's still alive." : - B'Elanna Torres and The Doctor, after Paris first falls ill. "You are losing me, aren't you? I'm gonna die." "You are too stubborn to die, mister Paris" : - Tom Paris and The Doctor "Pepperoni! God, I'd love a pepperoni pizza with Kavarian olives right now. I'm starving!" : - Tom Paris, undergoing one of his evolutionary changes "Here lies Thomas Eugene Paris, beloved mutant." :- Tom Paris, aloud in Sickbay "Great! Now it will read "Here lies Thomas Eugene Paris, beloved ''radioactive mutant!"" :- '''Tom Paris' to the Doctor, regarding a radiation treatment "I lost my virginity in that room. Seventeen. Parents were away for the weekend." "I'll note that in your medical file." : - Tom Paris and The Doctor "I don't know how to put ''that in the log." : - '''Chakotay', after discovering Paris and Janeway's reptile-like "children" "You know, I've thought about having children." : - Captain Janeway to Tom Paris, after The Doctor restores their human DNA. Background Information *Many fans and even Paramount staff, including Rick Sternbach and Brannon Braga, discount the events of "Threshold", due to its severe scientific flaws. In an interview included as an "easter egg" on the DVD release of season 2, Braga admits it was the single worst episode he ever wrote. Braga re-used the title for a show he created and produced nine years later (see Threshold). *The story idea for this episode came from Michael DeLuca, who was at the time the head of New Line Cinema. *The creatures into which Paris and Janeway "evolve" were based on salamanders. According to members of the writing staff, they thought it might be more interesting to have the cycle of evolution go "full circle" and back to Humans' primitive roots rather than a "large-brained, glowing human" as one might expect. *Jeri Taylor felt that this episode received more backlash from fans than it deserved, but she acknowledged that "The fact that we were turning people into salamanders was offensive to a lot of people and just plain stupid to others." *After the flight, Tom Paris was found to breathe a mixture of nitrogen and acid dichloride gas. Acid dichloride is not a common chemical name, but it could refer to phosgene, which has 2 "acid chloride" functionalities. Awards *This episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Makeup for a Series. It beat out which was nominated in the same category. Links and References Guest Star *Raphael Sbarge as Michael Jonas Co-Stars *Mirron E. Willis as Rettik *Majel Barrett as the computer voice Uncredited Co-Stars *Tarik Ergin as Ayala *Cindy Sorenson as transwarp human #1 *Susan Rossitto as transwarp human #2 References acidichloride, alloy; alveoli; AMU; antiproton; Armstrong, Neil; asteroid field; bio-suppressor field; brain hemorrhage; cerebellum; Cochrane, Zefram, ''Cochrane'', commendation; dark-matter nebula, dilithium; dilithium matrix; duranium; electrolyte; engineer's assistant; gigaquad, human, hyper-evolution, hypothalamus; interstitial fluid; Kalavian biscuit; Kavarian olive; Kazon; Klingon; level 3 security alert; lungs; lymphatic system; multispectral subspace engine design; mutation; neural stimulator; nitrogen, parsec; Paris, Owen; Paris Delight, pepperoni; pizza; quantum warp theory; rad; serotonin; space; subspace torque; technobabble; Trabalian; Trabalian freighter; transwarp, transwarp drive, transwarp threshold; tritanium; type-9 shuttlecraft, Warp 10, warp factor; warp field; Wright, Orville |next= }} Category:VOY episodes de:Die Schwelle (Episode) es:Threshold fr:Threshold nl:Threshold